If you’re new to the world of supplements, you should go for reputable brands that are known across the board. But don’t be surprised if you get different results from other people. This is because our bodies react differently when exposed to these supplements. You can even ask your friends to refer you to the ones they have been using. Here is a list of the most reliable supplements on the market.

Creatine

Creatine is naturally found in human muscles. A larger percentage of this substance is present in the skeletal muscle tissues. The other percentage of creatine is evenly distributed in the body.

The natural metabolite is produced for commercial use; its purpose is to generate energy and modulation. When you consume this supplement, you experience accumulation of lean body mass.

Your muscle cell volume also increases with the use of creatine. The worn out tissues in your body recover faster after a workout. Besides that, the supplement helps in boosting glycogen storage. The supplement is highly recommended for athletes because it gives them high intensity muscle performance.

Most body builders don’t experience any side effects after they stop taking creatine because it’s produced naturally by the body. The supplement therefore increases creatine levels in the body.

Benefits of Creatine Supplement:

• The promotion of lean body mass
• Increased muscle cell volume
• Faster post-workout recovery
• Increased glycogen storage
• Increase high-intensity muscle performance

Beta-Alanine

The substance is naturally present in the body. It’s actually a non-essential amino acid that’s known for boosting intra-muscular levels of carnosine. The substance enters your body when you eat foods that are rich in protein such as chicken and beef. When you take Beta-Alanine, your carnosine can increase up to 60% in a span of four weeks.

The sharp rise is beneficial to our bodies especially when we engage in high intensity workouts. At such times, your body produces high amounts of hydrogen which in return causes Ph levels to drop drastically, leaving you with lactic acid.

The lactic acid causes you to feel exhausted which causes you to take a premature break. When you take Beta-Alanine regularly, you experience prolonged workout sessions because the supplement delays the production of hydrogen. The muscles are therefore able to support any weight for an extended period of time.

Benefits of Beta-Alanine Supplement:

• Elevated endurance
• Improved force output
• Delayed fatigue
• Improved repeated sprint ability
• Works synergistically with creatine

Whey Protein Supplement

Professional body builders and trainers advocate for the use of whey protein because research has proven that it provides instant protein nutrients that speed up the growth of muscles. Whey protein is actually sold in the form of protein shakes that can be mixed with any beverage.

This supplement is the mother of all supplements because it reacts immediately. It’s actually recommended that you consume whey protein shakes before and after working out in the gym. It helps by repairing worn out muscle tissues and promoting their growth.

Benefits of Whey protein Supplement:

Easily digested

Unlike other proteins that take ages to be absorbed, whey protein is broken down immediately after it enters the body. It therefore starts working instantly and that’s why you’re assured of having an efficient supply of protein if you take it moments before hitting the gym.

Lactose free

People that are allergic to lactose are advised to switch from milk shakes to whey protein. This is because the supplement is free from lactose and therefore doesn’t cause any kind of irritation.

Improved muscle repair

When you engage in high intensity workouts such as lifting weights and athletics, your muscles tend to wear out due to excess pressure. After you take a break from such activities, you need a substance that can mend muscle tissues. Protein that’s packed with whey protein has active ingredients that speed up the repair of muscles.

Although other forms of protein such as beef and beans are good, whey protein is the best because it starts working in seconds after consumption. The other forms of protein take a long time to be broken down.

The fact that the ebook is in digital format makes it very durable because it can’t be damaged like hard cover books. The other advantage is that you can read the cookbook from anywhere. All you need is a computer, tablet or a mobile device that can access the internet.

The cookbook aims to help those interested in building muscle to do so by eating the right foods. The book fights misconceptions about body building diets such as:

• Fitness nutrition must be plain, boring and taste horrible.
• Delicious meals can’t promote muscle growth and fat loss.
• Only chefs can prepare great meals.
• Delicious meals require a lot of time.
• Great meals are expensive.

The book will teach you all you need about preparing meals that boost muscle gain. You will no longer eat just for the sake of filling your stomach. After reading the book, you will gain confidence in the kitchen.

You will be able to cook finger licking meals like the ones you eat in fancy restaurants. Since there are more than 200 recipes, you can be sure that your kitchen moments will never be boring. You will always have something new to try out.

Anabolic Cooking is by far the best selling cookbook. It has actually been featured in popular magazines and radio shows. And that’s not all. The cookbook was featured in BodyBuilding.com and has been voted as the most trusted body building cookbook since 2010.

Family Friendly Recipes

The recipes that are contained in this cookbook are suitable for the whole family. Children in particular require a lot of energy because they are so active. These meals are rich in carbohydrates that are needed for energy generation. Besides that, people who are above the age of 50 stand to benefit from these recipes.

This is because their bodies are already experiencing a decline in muscle mass. After eating the meals from these recipes, they can expect to start regaining body mass. The cookbook is therefore ideal for the entire family.

What to Expect from the Cookbook

• Over 200 anabolic recipes that are ideal for body builders. The meals can be made in a couple of minutes and they are so easy that even if you have no cooking experience, you can succeed.
• Fundamentals of anabolic cooking and nutrition. You can easily tell the nutrients that are in your food.
• Cooking and preparation tips. You will learn how to cook food that can last a whole week in 3 hours.
• The best types of food after working out.
• Money saving tips. You will learn how to buy health foodstuff without spending a lot of money.
• You will learn how to restructure your kitchen and the tools that are needed for anabolic cooking.
• How to choose your meals when eating out.

The cookbook comes with a Quick Start Guide that will teach you how to cook for body building. In a nutshell, you will learn:

• Exactly what’s in your food and what to look for.
• The anabolic cooking and nutrition fundamentals.
• How to read a recipe, the different cutting techniques and cooking methods, complete with the Anabolic Cooking Glossary.
• Tips to prepare a week’s worth of meals in 3 hours or less.
• The tactics and secrets of post-workout nutrition.
• Top money saving and grocery shopping tips.
• How to build your Anabolic Cooking Kitchen.
• How to manage your cheat meals effectively.

Lifetime Unlimited Updates

The cookbook normally goes for $47 but there is a one-time offer of $9. After buying the cookbook, you’re guaranteed of getting lifetime updates. Any good cook will tell you that learning never stops. The good thing is that you will continue getting updates without having to spend extra money.

As a matter of fact, the cookbook comes with a 100% money back guarantee. This means that you can always get your $9 dollars back if you don’t get the results that are outlined in the book.

It’s therefore important to have a simplified muscle building diet. A simple diet means that the foodstuffs are easily available because they are not expensive. As a matter of fact, eating well doesn’t have to be expensive. Just buy the foodstuff that you can afford.

Here are several foods that you should add to your shopping list.

Egg Whites

Egg whites contain the purest form of protein. They actually have low quantity of fats. With a protein to fat ratio of 60:1, you can be sure that you will not be consuming excess fats. You should therefore consider eating at least two egg whites every morning.

But you should try to avoid eating the yolk because it has fats that can cause your arteries to clog in the long run. Separating the yolk from the rest of the egg is pretty simple. Just break the egg as usual so that you have two halves of the egg shell.

Pour the yolk from one half to the other until it settles in one shell. Alternatively, you can pour the egg through a funnel. Since the yolk is bigger than the whites, it will not be able to penetrate through the funnel.

Chia Seeds   

Chia seeds are relatively small in size. However, their health benefits are way too high to be ignored. They are actually rich in plant protein. They come with omega-3 fatty acids and fiber and these nutrients protect your muscles from inflammation.

When preparing Chia seeds, you should scoop a small portion because they tend to swell when cooked. The advantage is that a small portion will leave you full.

That means that an amount that seemed small when raw could be more than enough of what you need. You can blend them with yogurt and your favorite smoothies.

Cottage Cheese with Live Cultures

Cottage cheese contains less than 200 calories which makes it healthy. It comes with dairy protein that breaks down slowly. You can therefore take it when you’re about to step out of the house because it will keep you energized.

The live cultures are added to boost the process of breaking down the nutrients. You can complement cottage cheese with a fruit of your choice. Besides that, you can use it as a pancake topping. A spoonful is all you need to get started.

Spinach

Spinach is rich in magnesium and iron. Magnesium plays a major role in boosting muscle growth and keeps you energized. The good thing is that you can add spinach to many dishes. You can include it in a salad or hamburger and still be on the right track.

In fact you can boil or fry it. If you choose to boil your spinach, don’t allow it to overcook because you might kill the nutrients. Moreover, you should try to use the resulting soup because it carries all the nutrients.

For best results, it’s recommended that you eat spinach while it is still raw. You can actually blend spinach leaves into a smoothie. But you should wash it thoroughly with water to remove dirt and debris from the garden.

Lentils

Though you may not know, lentils are a reliable source of plant protein that’s vital in muscle building. They are also rich in carbohydrates that are broken down slowly. Lentils cook in 10 minutes and are highly recommended for people that are looking for a low budget diet because they are cheap.

You can complement lentils with brown rice or just eat them without combining with anything else. You can even add them to your salad.

Sweet Potatoes

These tubers are rich in fiber and carbohydrates. The fiber makes you feel fuller after eating just a small portion while the carbohydrates keep you energized throughout the day. You are actually able to rebound after an aggressive workout without struggling.

This is because the carbs in sweet potatoes come with a low glycemic index that slows down their digestion. The advantage of indulging sweet potatoes is that they help in preventing overeating thanks to the fiber in them.

It’s easy to derail from the main course when you don’t have a meal plan to refer to. With an eating plan, you can be sure that you will give your body the exact carbs and proteins that it needs to accelerate muscle growth.

It’s recommended that you buy your food supplies in bulk because you will get a good discount as opposed to when you shop every day. In fact, buying the supplies that you need for one day is expensive. You should stock your fridge with food items that can last a week or so.

Fruits should be kept in the freezer to prevent them from losing their flavor and nutrients. As for vegetables, you can precook them in advance when you have some time. Before you get started with the eating plan, here are some amazing tips that should give you an edge.

Eat Frequently

You should eat up to six meals a day and should be served in small portions. Eating frequently guarantees that your body does not run out of nutrients and energy that’s needed to build muscle. If you don’t eat well, you may never experience the muscle gain that you desire because your body will be starved.

Avoid Processed Foods

Processed foods come with too many calories. The bad thing about them is that they have few nutrients that can contribute to your health. You should therefore eliminate them from your meal plan.

Drink Plenty of Water

You should drink a minimum of eight glasses per day. The body needs water for its metabolic processes. If these processes don’t take place, your muscles won’t grow.

This is because the metabolic processes are responsible for breaking down the food you consume into nutrients that can be absorbed by the body. Even if you are travelling out of town, you should consider carrying a bottle of water that will keep you hydrated throughout the day.

Meal Timing

When you’re eating to gain mass, you should be careful not to accumulate bad fats in your body. It’s recommended that you eat a meal before and after training in the gym. This ensures that the body has a sufficient supply of nutrients.

You should therefore eat a bigger serving when you’re about to hit the gym and eat another meal later. The other small meals should be eaten after every three hours. The logic behind this argument is that the body requires more food in the morning because it has been fasting at night.

As a matter of fact, there is usually not enough calories in the body at morning because most of them were used to digest food that was eaten in the previous evening. The situation is the same after working out due to the fact that most calories were burned to generate the energy that you were using.

7 Day Meal Plan Example

Monday

• Breakfast: Poached eggs on a bed of spinach
• Lunch: Whole meal pittas with tuna, red onion and tomato
• Snack: Greek yogurt with frozen berries
• Dinner: Steamed salmon, broccoli and sweet potato

Tuesday

• Breakfast: Porridge oats with milk and chopped banana
• Lunch: Prawn Thai curry using coconut milk, frozen peas and sweetcorn, brown rice
• Snack: Liver and onions
• Dinner: Pork steaks grilled with chopped tomato sauce, spinach and green beans

Wednesday

• Breakfast: Smoothie with milk, frozen berries, Greek yogurt, honey, peanut butter and whey protein
• Lunch: Mackerel with a tomato, onion, zucchini and carrot salad
• Dinner: Chili with kidney beans, brown rice, green beans
• Snack: Chocolate milk

Thursday

• Breakfast: Grilled sausages and three scrambled eggs
• Snack: Peanut butter with pitta, apple
• Lunch: Leftover chili with sweet potato wedges
• Dinner: Chicken thighs roasted with garlic purée, lentils and zucchini ratatouille

Friday

• Breakfast: Three-egg mushroom omelet, leftover chicken
• Lunch: Pittas with salmon and cottage cheese
• Snack: Carrot sticks (hummus optional)
• Dinner: Braised steak and mushroom casserole, broccoli and cauliflower

Saturday

• Breakfast: Porridge with blended banana, apple, honey and berries, topped with ground almonds
• Lunch: Ham, brown rice, peas and sweetcorn
• Snack: Cottage cheese and pitta
• Dinner: Mussel and prawn fish pie with sweet potato and cauliflower mash and green beans

Sunday

• Breakfast: Sausage, broccoli and egg frittata
• Snack: Almonds, apple
• Lunch: Turkey burgers (turkey mince and chopped onion)
• Dinner: Slow-cooked lamb neck, roasted sweet potato, carrots and peas

As a matter of fact, there are hundreds of muscle building programs out there. Picking the best program is therefore a daunting task. Below are some tips that can help you in choosing a muscle building program that is right for you.

Choose a Program You Believe in

Different training programs are made for different people. The problem is that everyone will tell you that theirs is the best in the market. Just so you may know, every program that has been tried and yielded results is good.

The reason why someone likes a particular muscle building program is that it entails activities that they like. It’s actually hard for you to stick to a program that requires you to do things that you don’t like.

Before you settle for any workout program, you should analyze it to ensure that it’s in line with what you believe. If you feel that the program may not work, it’s best to avoid trying it. It’s much easier to remain committed to a program that you believe will bring positive results.

It’s therefore advisable to settle for a program that will stir up your feelings of desire and passion. When you find a program that contains activities that you’re passionate about, you will definitely be looking to engage in it without getting bored.

Don’t Take On Too Much

Muscle building requires you to train more often than you do. Besides that, you should increase the volume of the weights that you lift using the bars. This is because it will help in building the muscles a little bit faster than when you lift a moderate volume of weights.

This means that you should be able to continue with your routine after a break. But if you lift weights that are too much for you, you will have to call it a day after the break because your muscles will be under a lot of pressure. You certainly know the weight that your body can handle at a go.

You can build on your capacity gradually and live to train another day. Better still, you can focus on mastering the techniques of the training program. This will actually give you an edge because you will have proficiency in all the activities of the program.

Consider the Exercises in the Program

Different exercises target different parts of the body. It’s therefore important to analyze all the activities so that you can understand why they are important. If you take exercises blindly, you may be tempted to do what others are doing in the gym.

In other words, don’t lift a weight in the gym just because you can. If you’re raising dumbbells more often, it means that you want to build your biceps and chest faster.

Knowing how each activity affects your body helps in maintaining a balance when picking activities. Knowing what each activity does to your body will give you confidence when working out with other people in the gym.

You will stick to your activities even when it seems like those of other people are better than yours because you know your goals.

Monitor Your Progress    

The progress you make in a muscle building program is measured by observing your adaptability. If you are able to lift more volume than you did a couple of weeks ago, then the program really works. Although all activities will leave you tired, there should be something to show after several weeks.

But if you’re only getting tired after being used to the program, you should consider making some changes to the program. There are programs that require minor modifications to work. The modifications mean that you will be doing some activities differently; minor changes such as hands and legs positioning can turn things around.

Before you ditch a muscle building program for another, you should know exactly what’s not working. If a large percentage of the activities are not helping, it’s okay to switch to a different program.

For instance, you should avoid running outdoors or on the treadmill because it will cause you to loose mass. You should begin your quest with basic strength training workouts. Such activities include bench presses for chest, overhead presses for deltoids, barbell rows for the back and squats for legs.

The good thing with these workouts is that they enable you to carry heavy weights as opposed to other minor workouts. Carrying heavy weights is highly recommended for a beginner because you still have underutilized energy. In fact, it induces muscle growth.

Give It Your All

If you’re looking to gain muscle mass fast, you should drop everything else and focus on your dream. This means that you have to spend most of your time training in the gym. You actually need to work out intensively.

Your muscles will definitely get sore but you should push through this pain because they will heal on their own. If you don’t feel any pain in your muscles, it means you’re not training as hard as you should. Ideally, a workout should last no more than 45 minutes.

If you have a day job, you can hit the gym three times per week. But if you don’t have a tight schedule, you can go to the gym and work out for 45 minutes. When lifting weights, you should aim to do as many repetitions as you can. If you reach ten repetitions without experiencing a burning sensation, you should consider adding a few weights to the bar.

If the weight is too heavy, put it down and remove some weights. When training with weights, you should raise them a little faster and bring them down gradually. The muscles will grow when you pressure them by carrying more weight than they can support.

Train in the Appropriate Form

You will not achieve anything if you don’t engage in a workout in the correct form. This is because the muscles will not be challenged like they should. For instance, you should not bend when taking bench presses.

Your back should be straight when doing military presses. It’s therefore advisable to work out in the company of a professional trainer so he can polish you on training forms for different workout activities. Before you begin doing any exercise at the gym, you should be able to hold the weight firmly without losing your grip.

Besides that, you should stand on a surface that’s even so that you are not at risk of falling over with the weight. If you find yourself leaning so that you can lift the weight, you should put it down immediately and remove some weights.

Rotate Muscle Groups

If you concentrate on one group of muscles whenever you hit the gym, you’re at risk of injuring those muscles. You should therefore work a different group of muscles to give the other groups a break. As a matter of fact, you should aim to gain muscle mass in your entire body and not only one part.

You will look weird if you have muscles in your arms but have thin thighs and legs. It’s therefore important to have a rotation pattern so that you don’t end up ignoring some muscles.

Assuming that you train at the gym three times per week, you should concentrate on your chest, triceps and biceps on the first day. The second training session should be dedicated to your legs while the third day should be reserved for abs and chest.

Eat Foods Rich in Calories

Calories are needed when eating to build muscle. They keep the body energized as you work out. In addition, you should eat foods that are free from additives because the chemicals used in processed meals are not good for your health.

It’s therefore recommended that you eat whole foods. There should be alternatives in your diet so that you don’t have to eat the same food every day.

For instance, your protein intake can consist of steak and roast beef, roasted chicken (with the skin and dark meat), salmon, eggs and pork. Additionally, your carbs should include oatmeal, whole wheat, buckwheat, quinoa, biscuits, muffins, pancakes and waffles.

There are several recipes to make your meals interesting. This is because trying one recipe over and over is boring. The ingredients have been carefully chosen to help you achieve your dreams.

Lean Beef Spinach Meatball Pasta

The name tells it all. This meal is a combination of nutrients from three groups. You can actually make meatballs from a wide variety of meat such as pork, beef and fish fillet among many others.

Other than being yummy, the meal requires little time to prepare and it’s very economical because the ingredients are cheap. They are available at your local grocery store and butchery.

Ingredients:

For Meatballs:

• 6 oz lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup shredded raw spinach
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tbsp cumin
• Sea salt and pepper, to taste

 For Pasta:

• 2 oz whole wheat spinach pasta
• 1/8 cup marinara sauce (natural and low sodium)
• 1 1/2 cup raw spinach
• 5 cherry tomatoes
• 1 tbsp low fat parmesan cheese

 Instructions:

• Heat oven to 405 degrees F.
• Cook the red onions in a skillet using spray olive or coconut oil to add flavor.
• Blend together ground beef, chopped raw spinach, red onion, garlic, and spices. Mix thoroughly using your hands until the spinach is completely mixed into the meat.
• Make two or three meatballs of roughly the same size using your hands. For accuracy, you can use a food scale to weigh and measure each portion to ensure they are of the same size.
• Put the meatballs on a baking tray and allow them to cook in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Cook pasta and blend with tomatoes, spinach, and cheese.
• Mix in cooked meatballs and serve.

Spinach-Tomato-Feta Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast with Brown Rice

This is not your ordinary chicken breast. It will leave you licking your fingers because it’s prepared in a special way. Most people that have tried this recipe have never gone back to eating ordinary chicken.

This meal is very efficient in providing the necessary nutrients that contribute to the growth of muscles. The chicken breast is rich in proteins while the slow digesting brown rice provides carbs that are needed for generating energy.

Ingredients

• 6 oz chicken breast
• 1/2 cup raw spinach
• 1 Roma tomato
• 2 tbsp feta cheese
• 1/2 cup brown rice

Instructions:

• Turn the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Make a deep cut in the middle of the chicken breast. This will create room for stuffing.
• Season the chicken breast with your favorite seasonings.
• Lift one side of chicken breast and arrange spinach, tomato slices, and feta cheese in layers.
• Use toothpicks and use them to fasten the chicken breast so that the filling doesn’t come out.
• Put the chicken breast in the oven and let it remain there until it’s cooked.
• Cook your brown rice with onions and garlic.
• Put the cooked chicken on a plate and serve with brown rice.

Mustard Baked Salmon with Grilled Asparagus

Salmon is rich in protein and unsaturated fats. Most people don’t know how to cook salmon. You may not enjoy it if you don’t have all the ingredients. Above all, you must follow the instructions for preparing mouth-watering salmon.

Ingredients:

• 5 oz wild salmon
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• Juice from half of a lemon
• 1 1/2 cup grilled asparagus
• 1/2 tbsp minced garlic

Instructions:

• Put oven to 405 degrees F.
• Mix mustard, olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice in a large bowl.
• Marinate the salmon for at least one hour in the refrigerator.
• Put the salmon on the baking tray and top it with lemon rings.
• Allow the salmon to bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Trim the bottom stems off the asparagus spears.
• Turn a nonstick skillet on medium high heat and lightly spray with coconut or olive oil.
• Fling the asparagus and garlic in the skillet and flame for 5 minutes, rolling the asparagus so that all sides are seared.
• Put asparagus on a plate and serve it with salmon.

Being consistent and committed is all you need. Building muscle is actually a journey that requires you to be patient because it won’t happen overnight. But sometimes this milestone can take much longer to be achieved.

The time taken to build muscle depends on the techniques you use while working out. You must therefore develop a technique that will serve as your blueprint. Below are some techniques that you can use in your daily training sessions.

Engage in Strength Training Thrice Per Week

Strength training is very efficient in building muscles. But at times it’s hard to engage in such activities on a daily basis especially when you have a tight schedule.

If you’re one of those people that battle with time, it’s recommended you do strength training exercises at least three times per week. During such training sessions, you should work out intensively for not less than 20 minutes.

Ideally, two sessions per week would make you leaner but three will get there much faster. Strength training activities should be complimented with jumping rope and hill sprints.

You should rest in between the training sessions to allow muscles to grow. The body actually develops when you’re relaxed and not when you’re working out like most people tend to think.

Your Workouts Should Go for 45 Minutes

Regardless of the activities that you’re doing, you should ensure that the workouts last for not less than 45 minutes. This keeps your hormones on high alert. The alertness is actually achieved after you have been training for at least 30 minutes.

On the other hand, the muscle destroying hormones are kept inactive when you train intensively. You therefore need to up your game if you have been training activities have been lasting for less than 45 minutes. When you work out consistently for a considerable time, the muscles get used to intensive training.

Focus on Big and Exclusive Activities

If you’re looking to have king size muscles, you should spend more time on big exercises that are also exclusive. This is because such exercises cause the muscles to extend as they try to cope with the weight. These exercises include squats, chin ups, presses, rows, deadlift variations, heavy sled pushes and loaded bars.

They are activities that you can’t do every day because they can leave you gasping for energy. Your muscles will remain small if you stick to small exercises. Such activities should only be done when you’re recovering from an injury.

Small workouts such as rear delt raises, neck work, grip work and abdominal work should come at the end of your training sessions after you are through with the big workouts.

Challenge Yourself

Instead of waiting to be challenged by other people, you should challenge yourself. When you stick to a certain set of activities, your body eventually gets used to it and the muscles stagnate. This is because you are doing the same activities over and over.

If you are lifting the same weight that you did three months ago 10 times, your biceps have definitely adapted to the tolerance and the weight no longer impacts your muscles. In such a case, you should consider adding more weight to the bar and doing more repetitions.

That way, your muscles will have to grow so that they can bear the increase in weight. The advantage of overloading your muscles is that you will be able to engage in more workouts within a short time.

Alternate the Exercises

It’s obvious that there are different variations of the workouts that you engage in. Though these workouts are done differently, they impact the same group of muscles. For instance, military presses, bench presses, chin ups, squats and deadlifts impact biceps.

Since these activities affect the same muscles, it’s wrong to do them all at once. You should start with one workout and switch to another after you have done it for several weeks. If you spend most of your sessions on workouts that affect one group of muscles, you become vulnerable to overs use injuries and muscle imbalances.

However, if you find you’re training hard but you have nothing to show for the efforts, the problem could be caused by how you workout and what you eat. Since you can’t gain muscle by just sitting down, you must nourish your body with the nutrients that it requires to experience the growth that you so much desire.

The tips below will guide you on how to build mass naturally.

Stick to Below an Hour Workouts

It’s recommended that you should workout for less than one hour. This ensures that you’re able to boost your workout intensity as opposed to increasing the duration of a workout activity.

It’s therefore important to have a wrist watch while training so that you can time yourself. Besides that, you should not rest for more than two minutes because taking a long break might slow you down.

Eat Several Times per Day

Ordinary people eat three large meals per day. Some even try to reduce their food portions because they want to lose weight. But if you are looking to build muscle naturally, you should regard food as the fuel that causes you to survive. You need to eat more often because the body is already burning many calories when you train at the gym.

The food that you eat should be rich in carbs so that they can be digested to generate energy that’s required for metabolic activities. Ideally, you should eat five to six small meals each day.

In fact, you should eat food after every three hours. Don’t eat food just for the sake of eating. You should indulge in foods that are rich in calories. If you realize that your muscles are not growing despite eating a lot, you should review your diet.

And don’t rely on supplements because they can really disappoint. You should only take protein supplements after you have been to the gym. This is because they are good in repairing worn out tissues.

Monitor Your Performance

No matter how often you train per week, you should measure your performance. If you’re not making any progress, it means you need to do things differently. You should record the number of repetitions that you do in a session.

This will help you in measuring your progress. Improvement in performance is evidenced by an increase of repetitions and reduction in time that’s needed to complete a workout activity.

For instance, if you were doing 10 repetitions in 10 minutes but you’re now doing the same number of repetitions in five minutes, you have certainly upped your game. You are also on the right track if you have added the number of repetitions to say 20 within 10 minutes.

Growth stops when you stop challenging your body. Whatever activity you start, you should work out until you can’t do it any more.

Lift Weights Slowly

This one goes without saying. When you lift a weight swiftly, you create muscle stress imbalance. This is because some muscles are spared from the pressure of carrying the load while others do all the work.

In other words, the weight is not evenly distributed. You should raise the bar slowly to give all the muscles the ability to support the weight.

As a matter of fact, it doesn’t matter how fast you lift a weight. The same case applies to body movements. Lifting a weight slowly feels difficult because pressure is being applied to the muscles appropriately.

As a rule of thumb, you should limit cardio activities to a 90 minutes threshold. This is because running too much causes you to lose muscle mass so they will not grow big the way you want them to.

Take a Break from the Weights

Building muscle takes time. Some people take up to one year before their muscles can achieve commendable growth. You should rest in between workout days. Taking a break from workouts will allow your muscles to grow.

If you choose to train without taking a break, your muscles will be stagnant and you will be at risk of suffering from overuse injuries. Research has actually proven that muscles grow when you take a break from workouts.

Your muscles will only develop when you feed them with the right nutrients. The recipes below are easy to prepare. In fact, you only need 25 minutes to prepare each of them.

The good thing is that you can cook them in advance and keep them in your freezer. The other advantage is that these recipes are cheap so you don’t have to strain your wallet.

BBQ Chicken Wrapped Asparagus

Nothing tastes sweeter than asparagus that’s wrapped with chicken. The barbequed chicken goes a long way to providing you with proteins that are required for building muscles. The brown rice provides slow digesting carbs.

Apart from asparagus and the chicken, the other ingredients can be rotated to suit your dietary needs. If your favorite fruit is not in season, you should go for what is available at your local grocery store.

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 oz thinly chopped chicken.
• 12 pieces of asparagus.
• 2 tablespoons of barbeque sauce.
• Cumin, garlic, pepper and paprika.
• 1 cup of diced bell peppers.
• ½ cup of brown rice.
• Any fruit.

Instructions:

• Heat oven to 405°F.
• Take chicken breasts and cut 2-3 oz pieces. Flatten the chicken by beating it with a mallet.
• Season pieces of chicken with 1 tablespoon of barbeque sauce. You can also season with your favorite spices.
• Trim the ends of the asparagus and wrap six of them with one piece of chicken breast. Do the same to the remaining six asparagus.
• Place the chicken on a baking tray and allow it to cook in the oven for 8-10 minutes.
• Cook brown rice with onions and garlic.
• Serve chicken with brown rice and a fruit.

Wild Game and Black Bean Stuffed Bell Peppers

Game meat is very efficient in building muscle because it has lower fat than beef. You don’t have to literally go hunting to get game protein. There are actually many butchers that specialize in game meat.

The black beans are rich in protein while the rice is added to give you a consistent supply of carbs. The game meat is cooked alongside black beans and salsa while brown rice is prepared separately.

Ingredients:

• 6 oz wild meat.
• ½ cup of black beans.
• 2 bell peppers.
• 4 tablespoons of salsa.
• 2 tablespoons of goat cheese.
• ¼ cup of brown rice.

Instructions:

• Heat oven to 405°F.
• Open bell peppers from top and take away the seeds.
• Oil the baking tray and place the bell peppers on it with the open side facing downwards. Allow them to bake in the oven for 12 minutes.
• Lightly spray a skillet with Coconut Oil and place on medium heat. Add the diced onions.
• Add ground wild game meat to the skillet. When the meat is nearly finished, add in beans, fresh parsley, 2 heaping tablespoons of pico de gallo, salsa, or diced tomatoes. Mix with a spatula.
• Take out the bell peppers from the oven and flip them over. Add in game meat and the bean mixture. Top with goat cheese (or low fat mozzarella cheese) and fresh parsley (if desired).
• Allow them to bake in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Serve when ready.

Stuffed Muscle Eggs with Pita Bread

This is indeed a power breakfast that will leave you energized throughout the day. Even if you don’t eat something small in between your main meals, you will still have enough energy while going to the gym.

The boiled eggs are rich in protein as opposed to the ones that have been fried. The lettuce helps in hydrating the body and is rich in fiber that aids in digestion.

Ingredients:

• Wild salmon.
• 2 hardboiled eggs.
• 1 tablespoon of Greek yogurt.
• Seasoning to taste.
• 1 leaf of lettuce.
• 5 cherry tomatoes.
• ½ whole pita pocket.
• 1 tablespoon of goat cheese.

Instructions:

• Boil 2 eggs, remove the shell when they are cooked and put the yolk in a separate container. Cut the eggs into two.
• Add 1/2 can wild salmon to the bowl along with 1 tbsp Greek yogurt, onions, and your other choice of seasonings.
• Mix the ingredients together; then stuff the eggs. Or, add egg whites to the mixture to create a salmon salad.
• Eat the meal with pita bread or stuff the pita with the salad, lettuce, and tomatoes.